Series: Dakar News
Motorcyclists entering the Dakar for the first time in 2027 can save €1,000 on their entry through a sponsorship scheme. The experienced sponsor receives a €500 discount. ASO requires the application before 20 October 2026. The rule is set out in the published terms of participation; the approaching deadline is the reason for this report.
As of: 11 October 2026.
One experienced rider, one rookie
The sponsor must already have taken part in the Dakar as a rider at least once. He or she can support a first-time participant in the same vehicle category. For motorcycle entries, this means a sponsorship between two motorcyclists. Both must be registered for, and take part in, the same edition of the Dakar.
A rookie may have only one sponsor. The motorcycle terms therefore rule out several sponsorships being claimed at the same time. According to ASO’s description, previous participation solely as a co-driver does not count as rider experience for this programme.
€19,800 instead of €20,800 entry fee
The official fee overview lists €20,800 for a motorcycle. With the rookie discount, the entry fee comes to €19,800, before any other possible reductions are taken into account. ASO deducts the sponsorship discount from the final instalment on 20 October 2026.
| Motorcycle entry | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard entry fee | €20,800 |
| Sponsorship discount for the rookie | −€1,000 |
| Entry fee with rookie sponsorship | €19,800 |
| Separate discount for the sponsor | €500 |
According to the fee sheet, the entry fee covers, among other things, vehicle transport from Europe and back, safety and navigation equipment, fuel during the race and access to the bivouac from 30 December 2026. The €19,800 refers to the reduced entry fee, not a full participation budget.
The October deadline does not replace slot selection
Access to the selection process for motorcyclists required a first payment of €5,000 before 17 July 2026. The sponsorship is a discount on the entry and does not open a new selection process in October.
The ASO sponsorship page expressly states an application before 20 October, but gives no time of day. The form linked there belongs to the separate communication bonus. No dedicated sponsorship form is linked on that page; the actual submission should be agreed with ASO’s competitor support.
Registration documents are managed via Rally Register. According to ASO, missing documents, payments and outstanding confirmation steps can also be tracked there.
Sources and image credits
- ASO: Communication et parrainage. Application deadline, discount amounts and terms of participation. Accessed: 11 October 2026.
- ASO: Registration Details – Bike, Dakar 2027 (PDF). Selection process, limit of one sponsor and deduction date.
- ASO: Dakar 2027 Entry Fees, including the embedded motorcycle fee overview. Entry fee, included services and instalments. €19,800 is the calculation of €20,800 minus €1,000.
- ASO: Rally Register. Management of registration documents.
- Article photo 1: Paolo Lucci, Dakar 2026, stage 12, 16 January 2026. © A.S.O./A. Vincent/DPPI. Original source: Dakar gallery.
- Article photo 2: Tosha Schareina, Dakar 2026, stage 8, 12 January 2026. © A.S.O./F. Gooden/DPPI. Original source: Dakar gallery.
- Banner: AI-designed editorial collages based on the archive photos named; original Dakar logo by ASO. The collages do not show a documented sponsor-rookie pair.
